Dec. 25 is nigh, and while that fact undoubtedly has significance in the realms of religion, commerce and vacation days, for sports fans, it means the ascension of the NBA.

Sure, the league has been playing games through the passing of two other major holidays—Halloween and Thanksgiving—and has been drawing record television ratings, but for casual sports fans, the first third or so of the season is basically exhibition time. Now is when things start to matter most in the NBA, and the league acknowledges that reality by placing some of its most anticipated showdowns in Santa’s wake.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant face off for the first time since the Finals—unless you count Team USA scrimmages. (AP Photo)

While most of us don’t much like working on Christmas, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for NBA employees. Christmas Day was special because everybody is watching at home.

“That's what I loved about Christmas Day, because it shined the spotlight on the Lakers, on our team, and we knew that all of the other leagues were at home and millions of people were watching,” said Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. “I think that it's just a special, special day in terms of Christmas Day and to be playing, representing your team and representing the NBA. And I think that when you look at the ten teams that we have playing on Christmas Day, they all will enjoy this moment and they are going to play hard. They are going to play well and they are going to give NBA fans something to cheer about on a special day like Christmas.”

Which brings us to those 10 teams that will be active on Christmas, and what to look for in these games:

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets, noon, ESPN

Neither of these teams is quite where they thought they’d be. Boston coach Doc Rivers has not had an easy time figuring out a rotation, and is now starting pseudo-cyborg Jason Collins at center. That hasn’t quite been enough to help struggling star Kevin Garnett. The Celtics have lost four of their last five, and Garnett has averaged only 12.2 points (on 42.4 percent shooting) and 6.4 rebounds. The story of the Nets has been their own star’s struggles—point guard Deron Williams has shot just 39.6 percent from the field, and his 8.2 assists per game marks his worst average since he was a rookie.

New York Knicks at LA Lakers, 3 p.m., ABC

The Lakers' superteam has been an utter bust in the first few months, with coach Mike D’Antoni ineffectual as the replacement for Mike Brown, Dwight Howard still limited physically, Steve Nash having played just three games, Pau Gasol also missing time and Kobe Bryant bearing too much of the weight of the offense. Still, with everyone healthy and coming off tight wins over the Bobcats and Warriors, the Lakers quietly have won four straight. To make it five in a row, they’ll have to beat a Knicks team that has been one of the surprises of the early season, led by MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony, who scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ win over the Timberwolves on Sunday.

Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder, 5:30 p.m., ABC

This is, of course, a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals and another head-to-head for the two best players in the league, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The Thunder had their 12-game winning streak snapped in Minnesota last week, but they have been the best team in the league to date, winning 15 of their last 17. That makes them the ideal test for the Heat, who are going on the road having begun to break out of their post-championship hangover phase. Miami has won four in a row, and has done so by an average of 18.0 points.

Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m., ESPN

At long last, prodigal son Omer Asik—who jilted devastated Chicago fans by leaving for the Rockets as a free agent last summer—comes home. OK, well, Asik’s return isn’t that much of a deal, but he is the starting center for the league’s most prolific team, averaging 10.6 points and 11.4 rebounds for the Rockets. Houston is averaging a league-best 105.4 points per game, and that’s mostly due to another offseason acquisition, guard James Harden, who is putting up 25.6 points per game. He will provide a special challenge for the vaunted Bulls defense, which ranks third in the league in points allowed (91.0).

Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN

If there was a team in Los Angeles with a 13-game winning streak going entering Christmas Day, the bulk of NBA denizens would have assumed it was the Lakers. Alas, it is the Clippers, the little brother team for the Lakers and, indeed, for all of the NBA. The Clippers were pretty good last season, but struggled because they didn’t have much of a second unit. This year, though, with Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes in the mix, and with Eric Bledsoe breaking out, the bench has been a strength, and should only get better when Grant Hill returns. They will try to make it 14 in a row against Denver, a team playing its 20th road game—against just nine at home thus far.